Animal Ordinances in San Antonio, TX (2026)
15 verified animal ordinances for San Antonio, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
San Antonio lets a home keep up to eight domestic fowl with only one rooster, no permit required, plus two head of livestock. Fowl need a coop and run of at least 24 square feet.
San Antonio Backyard Chickens: 8 Fowl, One Rooster, Coop Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-107(b)-(c)
A maximum number of eight (8) domestic fowl is allowed at a residence of which only one (1) may be a rooster.... All domestic fowl must be kept in a coop and run that is at least twenty-four (24) square feet in size, or has at least six (6) square feet of space per fowl, whichever is larger.... The total number of livestock allowed at a residence is two (2) animals from the following classes of...
Dog Leash Laws
San Antonio requires every dog owner to keep the animal on a leash whenever it leaves the owner's property, per Sec. 5-19 of the city code. Sec. 5-150(1) separately makes it a public nuisance to let a dog roam unrestrained, and dogs caught running free face mandatory sterilization at the owner's expense within 30 days, on top of citation and impoundment.
San Antonio Leash Law: Dogs Restrained at All Times
Some RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-19; Sec. 5-150(1)
Sec. 5-19: "An animal owner or keeper shall not walk an animal without a leash restraint, and shall not guide or take animals onto the yards or driveways of property not owned, leased or occupied by the animal owner for the purpose of allowing the animal to defecate, but shall keep the animal in the public right-of-way, and shall carry a container and implement for the sanitary removal of the a...
Breed Restrictions
San Antonio bans no dog breeds. Texas Health & Safety Code 822.047 forbids breed-specific local rules, so pit bulls and every other breed are legal. The city instead regulates individual dogs by behavior through its dangerous-dog declaration process.
San Antonio Has No Dog Breed Bans; Texas Bars Them
Few RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code § 822.047 (Local Regulation of Dangerous Dogs)
A county or municipality may place additional requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs if the requirements or restrictions: (1) are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and (2) are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter.
Beekeeping
San Antonio sets no hive count, no setback, and no permit for backyard beekeeping. Honeybees fall outside both the city animal code and the Unified Development Code, so residential keepers answer only to Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131, under which state registration is voluntary.
San Antonio Beekeeping: No Local Hive Limit, State Law Governs
Few RestrictionsTex. Agric. Code §§ 131.045(a), 131.061(b)
Sec. 131.045. BEEKEEPER REGISTRATION. (a) Each beekeeper in this state may register on an annual basis with the chief apiary inspector. A registration under this section expires August 31 following the date the registration is issued. ... Sec. 131.061. IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED. ... (b) An apiary at the principal residence of a beekeeper is exempt from the requirements of Subsection (a).
Exotic Pets
San Antonio prohibits keeping wild and exotic animals within city limits under Chapter 5 of the Code of Ordinances. Prohibited species include non-human primates, wolf hybrids, coyotes, foxes, exotic cats, bears, skunks, raccoons, miniature Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, and venomous species. The city defines nondomestic animals broadly, excluding only domestic cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits, and similar household pets.
San Antonio Exotic Pet Regulations
Light RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.101(4)
Sec. 822.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: ... (4) "Dangerous wild animal" means: (A) a lion; (B) a tiger; (C) an ocelot; (D) a cougar; (E) a leopard; (F) a cheetah; (G) a jaguar; (H) a bobcat; (I) a lynx; (J) a serval; (K) a caracal; (L) a hyena; (M) a bear; (N) a coyote; (O) a jackal; (P) a baboon; (Q) a chimpanzee; (R) an orangutan; (S) a gorilla; or (T) any hybrid of an animal listed in...
Wildlife Feeding
Feeding any animal or fowl belonging to the San Antonio Zoo, other than food purchased from the zoo's own vending machines, is illegal under Sec. 22-58, unless the San Antonio Zoological Society has specifically authorized the feeding. The rule covers the zoological area within Brackenridge and Koehler Parks.
San Antonio Zoo Animal Feeding Ban
Some RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 22-58
It shall be unlawful for any person, except those authorized to do so by the San Antonio Zoological Society, to feed any animals or fowl belonging to the zoo, any food other than that which can be obtained from the vending machines in the zoological area.
Pet Limits
San Antonio Animal Care Services treats hoarding as cruelty under SAMC Chapter 5 and Texas Penal Code Section 42.092. ACS removes animals from neglectful conditions, and counts above pet limits without a kennel permit trigger seizure and prosecution.
San Antonio Animal Hoarding Enforcement
Some RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code § 821.021
In this subchapter:(1) "Cruelly treated" includes tortured, seriously overworked, unreasonably abandoned, unreasonably deprived of necessary food, care, or shelter, cruelly confined, caused to fight with another animal, or subjected to conduct prohibited by Section 21.09, Penal Code.(2) "Nonprofit animal welfare organization" means a nonprofit organization that has as its purpose:(A) the preven...
Cat Rules
San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 5 treats cats as companion animals subject to rabies vaccination, ACS licensing, and humane care. Free-roaming cats may be impounded, and registered TNR caretakers ear-tip and return community cats under ACS protocols.
San Antonio Cat Rules and Rabies Vaccination
Some RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code § 826.014
(a) The commissioners court of a county may adopt ordinances or rules that establish a local rabies control program in the county and set local standards that are compatible with and equal to or more stringent than the program established by this chapter and the department rules adopted under this chapter.(b) County ordinances or rules adopted under this section supersede this chapter and the d...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
San Antonio is one of the strongest mandatory spay-neuter cities in Texas. SAMC Section 5-26 requires all dogs and cats over six months to be sterilized unless owners hold an Intact Animal Permit. ACS enforces with citations and impoundment of unaltered animals.
San Antonio Mandatory Spay-Neuter Ordinance
Some RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code § 828.002
Except as provided by Section 828.013, a releasing agency may not release a dog or cat for adoption unless the animal has been sterilized or the release is made to a new owner who signs an agreement to have the animal sterilized. Added by
Microchipping
Every dog, cat, and equine in San Antonio must be implanted with a registered microchip before it turns four months old, under Sec. 5-100 of the city code. Owners must keep the microchip registration current with the registry company, and dogs must wear a tag showing the chip number or the owner's contact information whenever they are outdoors.
San Antonio Microchipping Required for Dogs, Cats, Equines
Some RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-100
Sec. 5-100(a): "The owner or keeper of any equine, dog or cat must have the animal implanted with a registered microchip before the animal attains four (4) months of age. An equine, dog or cat is exempt from this requirement if the equine, dog or cat is determined to be medically unsuitable for microchipping by a licensed veterinarian in writing. If the animal is determined to be medically unsu...
Pet Store Rules
San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 5 regulates pet stores through licensing, sanitation, and consumer disclosures. Texas does not impose a statewide retail puppy or kitten sale ban, and San Antonio has not enacted a humane sourcing ordinance like Austin or El Paso.
San Antonio Pet Store Sourcing Rules
Some RestrictionsTex. Occupations Code § 802.101
(a) A person may not act as, offer to act as, or represent that the person is a dog or cat breeder in this state unless the person holds a license under this chapter for each facility that the person owns or operates in this state. A license for a single facility may cover more than one building on the same premises.(b) The commission by rule may establish requirements for issuance or renewal o...
Pet Groomer Rules
Anyone operating a grooming shop in San Antonio must first get a license from Animal Care Services under Sec. 5-110 of the city code. ACS reviews building construction, sanitation and welfare compliance history, and zoning before approving a license, which is valid for one year and can be denied or revoked over a chapter 5 conviction.
San Antonio Pet Groomers Need a Grooming Shop License
Some RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-110
Sec. 5-110: "(a)No person shall operate any grooming shop, as defined in this chapter, without first obtaining a license from the department who shall take into consideration the type of building construction, the regulatory compliance history of the permittee as it relates to sanitation, health, welfare of the animals, and related zoning requirements. The department shall inspect and evaluate ...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
San Antonio's Unified Development Code confines veterinary hospitals to industrial-zoned land: a small-animal veterinary hospital is permitted by right only in the "L" Light Industrial and "I-1" General Industrial districts, while a combined large-and-small-animal veterinary hospital is permitted by right only in "I-1." Neither use is allowed by right in office, commercial, or downtown districts.
San Antonio Veterinary Hospital Zoning Limits
Significant RestrictionsSan Antonio Unified Development Code Sec. 35-311, Table 311-2 (Veterinary Hospital use rows)
Animal Veterinary Hospital - Small Animal [O-1&O-1.5] [O-2*] [NC] [C-1] [C-2] [C-3] [D] L:P I-1:P [I-2] ERZD:S | Animal Veterinary Hospital - Large And Small Animal ... I-1:P [I-2] ERZD:S || P = Permitted Uses. A "P" indicates that the listed use is permitted by right within the zoning district... S = Specific Uses. An "S" indicates that the listed use is permitted within the respective zoning ...
Bird Protection
San Antonio bans feeding or sheltering wild animals and birds anywhere on airport property at San Antonio International and Stinson Municipal airports, with a narrow carve-out for animals only being transported through. Anyone on airport grounds must also properly dispose of unused or abandoned food and containers so they do not attract wildlife, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 3-39.
San Antonio Bans Feeding Wild Birds at Airport
Heavy RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 3-39
Sec. 3-39. - Prohibition against feeding and sheltering wild animals and birds. No person shall be allowed to directly or indirectly feed or shelter any wild animals or birds on airport property except for animals that are being transported. Additionally, all persons on airport property shall properly dispose of all unused or abandoned food and food containers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, th...
Wildlife Rescue Permits
Anyone operating an animal rescue organization in San Antonio, including one housing wild birds or reptiles, must first obtain a license from Animal Care Services. Operating unlicensed, or missing the 30-day renewal window, is a misdemeanor.
San Antonio Wildlife Rescue Organization License
Significant RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-112
No person shall operate an animal rescue organization as defined in this chapter within the city, without first obtaining a license from the department. For the purposes of this section, operating an animal rescue organization includes to house in an enclosure or exchange ownership of an animal(s) to or from said organization. The director shall take into consideration the housing conditions, t...
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